Freckles and Sea Foam
by EtherealNinja
Summary: Cap't Katsuki's pirate crew and their ship washed up on a tropical island after a particularly rough battle. In need of some new sailors, the captain was very impressed with a certain green-haired hunter's technique. Bakugou x Deku. Contains swearing, violence, sexual content and minor character death.
1. Chapter 1: First Encounter

CHAPTER 1 - First Encounter

Katsuki's head spun. The UA All Might was just attacked by another pirate clan, and while they ultimately won the war, they lost Shindo, Mineta and Monoma, their Chief Sailor and his two Sailing Mates. While most of the crew knew the process of hauling sails, coiling ropes and making them fast, there was no sugar-coating it. Without Shindo and Monoma, they were screwed. Nobody else knew how to convert an ordered coarse into "sail lingo."

The UA was currently anchored on the rocky cliffs beneath a very small, remote tropical island. Katsuki, or more accurately Captain Bakugou, was at a loss. While he knew a bit more about sailing than the rest of the crew, his real expertise was at the helm. He could navigate the winds, waves and stars better than anyone else, and could steer the ship as if it were an extension of his own body. He couldn't leave his post at the wheel even if he would be of any real use at the sails.

Currently, his Kirishima, Shinsou and Denki were out looking for food, while the rest of his crew, Sero, Mina, and Momo were working on repairing damages from the attack. His deployed hunting crew had left the ship three hours ago, and Katsuki was beginning to get worried. Hair for Brains and the Idiot Blond weren't known to be the sharpest knives in the drawer, and Emo Boy didn't seem to care about his own life or anyone else's.

"Oi, Pinky. I'm going out." He called out, picking up a bow and some rope in case he stumbled across any game himself. "Gonna see what those three idiots are up to."

"Got it, Cap't. I'll relay to the the others."

As he jumped off the side of the UA and onto the soft, white sand of the beach, Katsuki looked up the steep cliff full of tall tropical trees that he saw his crew members disappear into. A quiet "For fuck's sake…" mumbled out from his lips as he began the uphill climb.

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A content sigh escaped Izuku's lips as he bit into one of the lush papayas Uraraka had picked for them earlier. Todoroki was eating as well, sitting next to the greenette on the side of their small sailboat. After finding a deep delta hidden far from their settlement on the island, the three have enjoyed nothing more than some early morning sailing. It was forbidden for any clan member to go past the cliff, so the delta was almost like a gift from god himself, allowing them to sail freely in the early hours of dawn.

Uraraka had been orphaned before she could talk, and Todoroki's father was the chief of the clan. His mother died when he was a toddler, and with his father constantly busy, he had to mostly look out for himself too. Endeavor was also physically abusive, even now, hence the scar that permanently marked the left side of Todoroki's face. Izuku never had a father, but only 5 years ago, when Izuku was 15, his mother passed away from starvation. It had been an extremely rough year that took the lives of many clan members who were insistent that their starving children survive, at any cost. As Uraraka and Izuku, and basically Todoroki, were all orphans, they learned to stick together and formed a friendship stronger than blood bonds.

The three now sat with their bare toes gliding through the water, legs dangling off the side of their rather small but very legitimate sailboat. Their clan had taught them to sail as children, though only for when they were forced to abandon the island. As the sailboats were left untouched ever since, it wasn't hard for them to sneak one into the delta.

"Deku, you didn't tell me you knew how to do donuts! Not fair!" Uraraka complained loudly. "You came here and practiced without us didn't you!"

"N-no I didn't!" Izuku blushed, his skin turning rosy pink beneath his dark freckles. "I just tried something new and it ended up happening!" He tugged nervously at his canvas hand wraps; a deeply ingrained habit.

"Sailing just comes naturally to you, doesn't it." Todoroki smirked slightly at the darkening of Izuku's blush.

"Wha—no! Stop it guys, it was really just luck!" Izuku curled in on himself, trying to hide his face behind his papaya slice. "I-I'll show you how I did it…"

"Really?! Then let's do it!" Uraraka said, jumping out into the water. "Right after we get some more food. We've been sailing for hours and the clan is going to be pissed if we come back all hungry." Hearing no complaints from her friends, Uraraka came up with a new idea. "Let's split up and have a contest. Whoever finds the most food before sunrise wins."

"Good idea!" Izuku chimed in. "Then we can bring it all back and have a feast!"

"Why not." Todoroki agreed.

"Alright, then let's meet back here in 2 hours!" Uraraka shouted, already heading out into the forest.

Izuku grabbed a few ropes from the sailboat, and slung them around his shoulder, tying them loosely. "When we come back, you can show me that cool sideways maneuver you've been working on, Todoroki!"

"I don't know if you can handle it, Midoriya, it takes a bit of muscle…"

"What do you mean? If you can do it, I'm sure I can!" Izuku pouted.

"If you say so." Todoroki chuckled. Oh, how much he enjoyed teasing the little cinnamon roll.

"You know I have my own ways of doing things, even without as much muscle."

"Sure, sure." Todoroki tried to contain his laughter at Izuku's scrunched up face as he ruffled the green mop of of curls. "We'd better get going if we're gonna keep up with Ochaco. She can spot a piece of food from a mile away."

"I'm already leaving! See you later!" Izuku called over his shoulder as he drew his knife out of the knife holder strapped to his ripped cargo pants. As per the customs of his tribe, Izuku was shirtless, donning the tattoos of the hunting tribe; intricate patterns of dark lines and triangles marked the pale skin of his forearms and side abdominals. The forearm tattoos continued all the way to his fingertips, but were mostly covered by the canvas straps all knifemen wrapped their hands with, for grip. While sailing was his main expertise, and he couldn't hold a candle to Todoroki's skills with a bow, the tribe was excellent at making good hunters, and Izuku wasn't bad at handling a knife. If he got a good location, he'd definitely beat the others.

Izuku crept through the lush forest, well-trained and experienced eyes peeled for any sign of game. His head jerked to the side as he heard a branch snap, and he crouched down low to the ground, moving quietly toward to hid behind a bush. He spotted the rabbit about 6 feet away from the immense rainforest tree he was next to. Quietly and with skilled movements, he soundlessly moved towards the game. It wasn't too far away, so he figured he'd have a better chance of catching it if he threw the knife, rather than his typical jump-and-kill method. Drawing his arm back and aiming carefully, he threw the knife, hitting the rabbit and killing it instantly. It was a big one. Izuku grinned as he came out from behind the tree, tied up the game using one of his smaller ropes, and clipped it to his cargo pants, securing it tightly. Cleaning off his knife, Izuku re-entered hunter-mode, and snuck deeper into the forest as he tightened his hand wraps.

After sneaking for several minutes, Izuku heard the clear sound of human footsteps. _Todoroki and Uraraka both went different ways…and this is far too early for anyone from the clan to be hunting…_

Crouching low, Izuku approached the location of the footsteps, and his green eyes widened at the sight that met him. A tall, blond man, appearing to be a similar age as Izuku himself, stood with one booted foot propped up on a boulder. He was shirtless beneath an orange cape with white fur at the the top and bottom, with orange arm bands and a myriad of scars and tattoos across his arms at upper body. Unlike Izuku's side and forearm tattoos, the stranger's markings were on his shoulders, upper arms and chest. Izuku moved slightly to hide himself better behind the tree.

_Is this, a foreigner? A pirate? Is he lost, or looking for someone? What in the world is going on?!"_ Izuku was completely confused by the appearance of such an interesting, breathtaking figure. A murmur that sounded like, "Fucking shitty hair…" broke Izuku's entranced stare before the foreigner continued to walk up the hill, failing to notice the boy trailing behind him.

After a while of following the caped stranger, Izuku noticed him crouch down to pick something up. He inspected the object very closely, but Izuku could not see it from his point of view. Finally, his curiosity got the better of him as he trekked slowly around the tree, finding a new vantage point. He leaned in slowly from behind his new tree, trying to get a glimpse at what was capturing the blond's attention, before hearing a sound that indicated the grave mistake he had just made.

The hissing sound of a poisonous jungle snake reverberated from the ground beneath Izuku's feet. Well-trained to the protocol of encountering the dangerous reptiles, he slowly inched backward, out of its range of attack. It wasn't long before Izuku realized he was going to have to choose whether to stay hidden from the mysterious stranger, or risk losing his life in one of the more excruciating manners. His eyes darted quickly between the two threats as he crept backwards.

Sure enough, the green-haired hunter had just made it out of the serpent's domain when his movements were enough to make the blond's head snap in his direction. Crimson red eyes met wide, forest-green. "Who the f–!?"

Before thinking twice, Izuku took off as fast as he could. Clambering through the thick tropical forest, he jumped over the vines and fallen logs of the territory he knew like the back of his hand. Glancing over his shoulder, Izuku saw the blond bolting after him, a maniac grin on his face as he drew his bow.

"You think you can sneak up on me, piece of shit?!" He roared from behind. _Well, clearly he isn't friendly._

A small panicked noise escaped Izuku's throat as he ran. Looking back was pointless; the blond was fast. While the green hunter was confident in his abilities to outrun his angered pursuer, the bow worried him. He couldn't outrun an arrow. His lead would be pointless the second the stranger aimed. There was no other choice – he had to hide or fight.

Izuku used his teeth to rip at his right hand wrap, tearing off the canvas and quickly giving himself a strong rope to use to his advantage. He looked around for an escape; a method of using his momentum to turn around quickly and disappear from view.

"Just try to outrun me, little boy!" The blond laughed sadistically. An arrow shot out, landing in a tree a few inches to the right of Izuku's bare foot.

Green eyes zeroed in on a low-hanging branch up ahead and to the right. Prepping his loose hand wrap, Izuku darted to the side, out of Katsuki's view. The pirate swerved in the same direction, but in just that instant, his prey was gone.

Or so he thought.

Before the pirate's momentum could allow him to slow down, Izuku swung around into Katsuki's back from the other side of the tree, using his hand wrap as a tether to the tree branch. With all his body weight, as well as his momentum from running, he kicked Katsuki from the back. It wasn't enough to knock him over, but it stunned him, making him lose his balance and place his bow hand on the ground.

Izuku swooped in, immediately using the opportunity to snatch the pirate's bow out of his grasp.

"You little shit!" Was the last thing Izuku heard before he took off again, hearing the most obscene words shouted at him from behind. And his plan would've worked too…if it weren't for the fact that the bow was much, much heavier than anything the tribe used. Weighed down by the surprisingly heavy mass, and being chased by an extremely angry, now empty-handed pirate was not a good combination.

After about a minute of running, Izuku felt the weight of a thousand men slam into his back as Katsuki tackled him to the ground. "Ah!" The freckled greenette shouted in both pain and fear as he was driven into the ground.

"Gotcha now, filthy thief!" Katsuki growled, pinning Izuku face-down to the ground. He grabbed the conveniently loose strip of canvas trailing off Izuku's dominate hand, leaning into the boy to tie his arms up.

Realizing the foreigner's idea, Izuku immediately struggled as hard as he could, punching and kicking anything he could reach, while simultaneously thrashing his hips around to try and flip onto his back. After a good deal of grunting and panicked noises, Izuku felt his fist collide with something that made the stranger yell, "Shit!" and loosen his grip. The smaller boy pushed him backwards, just enough to wiggle free and start to get on his knees.

But it was hopeless. After hearing a roar of pure anger and frustration, Izuku felt an iron grip latch around his ankle, forcing him to face-plant directly into the ground. He let out a cry of pain as he was dragged back underneath the pirate by the ankle, struggling the entire time. He had just managed to flip onto his back, and was about to kick out with his free leg before it was grabbed as well. The foreigner immediately straddled him, using his knees to hold down Izuku's legs and pinning both of his arms down on either side of his head. Furious, scarlet-red eyes were mere inches away from Izuku's, blazing with the fire of victory as the small hunter was rendered completely immobile.

No words were said as the two boys panted heavily from the strenuous events of the chase. Both were glistening with sweat, their hair partly stuck to their foreheads. After a few minutes of defiant staring, the crushing effect of Katsuki's weight made Izuku's limbs go limp, and he stopped struggling; admitting defeat. The pirate smirked, taking the opportunity to slowly drag his eyes down Izuku's body, sizing up his prey.

Izuku's hyper-alert green eyes stayed trained on the caped stranger, trying to sense some sort of goal or intention. When they started trailing down his body, Izuku froze. He held his breath as he was examined, a light blush contrasted the dark freckles and tattoos on his white skin.

The blush deepened considerably when the foreigner's eyes came back up to meet his own again, and a mischievous tongue flicked out to moisten his smirking lips.

"A scrawny brat like you tried to jump me?"

At Izuku's silent glare, Katsuki leaned into the boy's forearms, and brought them up above his head so that he could pin both of them down with one arm. "Or perhaps…do you have friends?" When he suddenly felt the pirate's other hand trail down his thigh slowly, Izuku whimpered and squirmed, his eyes widening.

The hunter's heart started pounding, his exposed stomach rising and falling as his breathing picked up.

Fear overtook his mind as he was unsure of the foreigner's intentions. As the large hand wandered downwards, it squeezed his thigh lightly, making Izuku bite his lip. The pirate chuckled, and seemed to be drinking up his reactions. His deadly smirk widened and he leaned down so his lips were right next to Izuku's freckled ear. He whispered, making goosebumps spring up along the greenette's arms.

"Nah, yer all alone."

At this, Izuku gathered up his courage and called out as loud as he could, "Todoroki! Todoroki help––ah!"

He was immediately cut off by his own hunting knife, which he realized was likely what the stranger was going for the entire time as it was strapped to the outside of his thigh. He whimpered pitifully as he tilted his head back, up and away from the blade.

"So he speaks!" Katsuki teased. "You and yer friends mess with my men?"

Unable to move his head, Izuku stammered. "N-no!" Tears started to well up in his eyes.

"Then why the fuck were you stalking me like a piece of game?"

"I-I wasn't, I don't know!" The greenette pinched his eyes shut, forcing a tear to trail down his face. He was so cute that even Katsuki felt a pang of sympathy. He frowned. _Is this green fucker crying right now?_

"The way you used that branch to fuckin' attack me. Yer people got sailors?"


	2. Chapter 2: Abandoned

CHAPTER 2 - Abandoned

"The way you used that branch to fuckin' attack me. Yer people got sailors?"

"N-no, we're hunters…"

After noting the rabbit dangling from the boy's cargo pants, Katsuki glared at him. "Bullshit." He stabbed the knife into the ground by Izuku's head, causing him to tense up. With his free hand, he undid some of his ropes and tied the greenette up; first the hands then the feet. Izuku knew better than to struggle with his knife 2 inches from his face. Finally, the pirate got up, pocketing the hunting knife and slinging the boy over his shoulder without even a grunt.

Izuku was speechless with fear. _Shit shit, shit….where is he taking me? Am I going to be eaten?! _The pirate soundlessly carried him, retracing the tracks of their chase. Unfamiliar with this "method" of transportation, Izuku clenched his abs tightly, and squeezed the stranger's shoulder as much as he could with his forearms bound together, in order to not fall off. He felt the strong muscles of the pirate's back ripple beneath the cape. Katsuki was carrying him with ease, one hand free while the other gripped the back of the hunter's thigh.

When they started heading downhill, Izuku noticed a spot of red far off, and up in a tree. Todoroki. Uraraka was next to him. He jumped very slightly in the pirate's arms, but was careful not to give anything away.

_Hang on, we're coming._ Todoroki gestured. As hunters, it was important to be experts at communicating non-verbally, to sneak up on game. Izuku nodded.

At last, the two boys broke out of the tropics and out onto the sand again. From a ways away, Izuku heard a female voice shout. "Oi, Cap't! The idiots came back while you were gone! Did you find any f––what the fuck?!"

"Shut it Pinky! Got us something better than food!" He approached the pirate clan and –quite literally– threw Izuku onto the soft sand.

"You kidnapped a kid?" A redhead with sharp teeth stepped forward, looking at Izuku with concern.

When Izuku started squirming to back away, the redhead stopped and kept his distance.

"Hell yeah I fuckin' did. We're gonna use him as ransom to get a sailor or two. Part of some hunting tribe, but he moves like he's sailed."

"So yer just guessing?!"

"Oi, don't ask shitty questions. Just grab him."

The redhead shook his head in disbelief as he obeyed his captain, moving towards the bound-up greenette. "S-s'cuse me…" He mumbled as he picked him up bridal style, Izuku glaring daggers at him the whole time. The redhead walked back over to his clan, who were strapping up with ropes and weapons, preparing to fight if necessary. When the caped stranger, now evidently their captain, saw his mate carrying the hunter, he froze. An entirely foreign feeling blazed in his chest. It was uncomfortable.

"Give him here."

"Eh? It's fine Cap't, I can–"

"Just give him the fuck to me, shitty hair. You making me repeat orders?"

The redhead grumbled in confusion as he held Izuku out for the blond to take. Izuku again found himself being slung over a shoulder like a piece of cargo. "We threaten to kill him if they don't give us a sailor. His mom or some shit is gonna start crying. It'll work."

"Seems risky. What if they have an army?" A girl with black hair pulled into a big ponytail spoke up.

"They don't. And they're probably low on fighters, seeing as this guy was hunting for food on his own. We can take 'em."

_Shit, he's right about one thing…_ Izuku thought. He knew the plan would fail though. First off, nobody in the tribe could sail as well as him, Uraraka or Todoroki. Second, they wouldn't blink twice at the death of an orphan, if it meant keeping the tribe safe.

Under Izuku's direction, they trekked through the lush forest towards their small settlement. They broke out into the bright clearing, littered with small teepees and huts. Fires still smoked in firepits, tools and baskets laid haphazardly on the ground, as if everyone suddenly stopped what they were doing to hide.

"Oi! We have your hunter! Come out now if you want to see him alive!" The captain bellowed.

Silence.

"Well shit, maybe you don't have many friends, kid. Say something."

Izuku cleared his throat. "U-Um, Uraraka? Todoroki?" Suddenly, a brunette girl ran out from the forest.

"Deku! Are you okay?! You drop him right now!" She ran towards the captain, effectively drawing the pirate clan's attention. Several of them moved to block her off, before their captain let out a groan of pain.

"Ah, shit!"

Izuku was biting his shoulder as hard as he could, causing the blond to drop him onto the ground. Almost immediately, a man around Izuku's age swung in from the forest, knocking directly into the captain, sending them both to the ground. While everyone was stunned, he grabbed Izuku off the ground.

"Run, Uraraka!" He shouted, and they ran through the settlement. Using his teeth, and with some help from Todoroki, Izuku undid the ropes on his forearms as they ran. The pirates shouted after them, quick on their heels. As soon as he could, Izuku used his freed hands to untie his own ankles. Todoroki put him down quickly, and the three friends that were abandoned by their tribe began running to the delta they knew so well. Unhindered by weapons and familiar with the terrain, they could outrun the pirates easily.

"Screw the tribe, we're leaving. Just make it to the boat, and you can get us out." Todoroki yelled to Izuku as they jumped over logs and swung from hanging vines, using the land to propel them forward.

"I tried to get help, Deku! But when I told them they all hid like cowards!" Uraraka shouted, tears streaming down her face.

"It's okay guys, we're going to get out of here! We can make it on our own!" Izuku smiled so brightly that his friends almost forgot their current situation.

When they made it to the sailboat, Izuku jumped in while Todoroki and Uraraka pushed it into the water. Swinging expertly from the masts, Izuku used his entire body weight to raise the main sail so that it caught the wind perfectly. Todoroki and Uraraka jumped in, and immediately grabbed the side oars and began to row the ship outwards, as Izuku adjusted the foresail quickly to give them a boost.

Having practiced with his friends for so many years, the hunter's muscles were tuned perfectly to the task of raising sails. Their countless races and little competitions allowed them to get well into the delta before the pirates burst into the clearing. Izuku hopped down from the mast and onto the helm, taking the wheel. "Sails set!" He shouted to his friends, who both shouted the phrase back to him, rowing as fast as possible. Izuku steered them to the direction of the mouth of the delta, and even under all the stress and tension of the situation, he couldn't help but enjoy the familiar feeling of sailing again. When he was confident in their speed and direction, he glanced back.

And his face fell.

With master precision and organization, the pirates flung out their ropes, lassoing on to all parts of their sailboat. Two ropes even latched around the oars, stopping Uraraka and Todoroki from propelling them forward. The two glanced back at Izuku, who could do nothing but stare at them with wide eyes and a pale face.

Of course, they wouldn't be able to sail away from literal pirates.

"Guys…" Izuku started, before running out of words to say. He had failed his team. They trusted him to get them out, and now they were being slowly pulled back in towards their deaths. When he brought his watery green eyes up to meet the faces of his friends, Izuku could only see trust and understanding. _It's okay. We tried. _

Four pirates swung in, while the others stayed back to pull them to shore. They came at Izuku first, likely because his position at the wheel made his seem like the leader. Todoroki immediately got up and ran to defend him, but was punched square in the face by a boy with purple hair and dark eye bags.

"Back off, kid." He smirked lazily, raising up his fists like a boxer.

Todoroki recovered quickly, tackling the pirate to the ground. A tall, dark haired pirate was holding both of Uraraka's arms behind her back as she struggled. The last two–the jacked redhead from before and a blonde boy with what looked like a black lightning streak through his bangs – turned on Izuku.

Without his hunting knife, he was pretty much defenseless, and hunters were not really trained to fight other people. Before he even had time to think, the blond lunged at him, which Izuku narrowly managed to sidestep before leaping forward, out of the outstretched arms of the redhead. Izuku grabbed onto the main mast of the ship, swinging around and kicking the blond straight in the face, knocking him to the ground.

There was no way he'd be able to take the redhead on.

Izuku swung the rope of the main sail around like a whip, but being a skilled pirate, the man was able to grab hold of the rope and pull Izuku in. The smaller boy tripped, falling onto his knees and giving the blond the perfect opportunity to get on top of him and pin him down.

His vision became blurred as tears welled up in his eyes, seeing his friends fighting the pirates he was stupid enough to get captured by. _It's all my fault. We're going to die and it's my fault._ Izuku squeezed his eyes shut, sobbing lightly under the weight of the captain's mate. Vaguely, he felt the bottom of the boat hit sand, and the shadow of a flowing cape was cast over his pitiful state.

"We done running now?!" The ash blond captain roared over the commotion.

Izuku heard a strained "Fuck you!" Come from Uraraka's direction, and would've laughed if he weren't busy blaming himself for everything that was happening to them. The pirate pinning Izuku down snorted at the insult.

"Yeah, okay. Well we were gonna get your tribe's best sailors but it turns out they're all weak ass fucking bitches. So that's a no." Izuku heard heavy footsteps come towards him, and he shut his eyes, his whole body tense. In the distance, he heard Todoroki snarl and start fighting again, only to be slammed onto the deck. "Besides, based on your earlier performance, I'd say we've already got your best sailors, ey?"

After hearing a lack of response from Izuku, who was truthfully struggling to breathe underneath the lightning bolt pirate, Katsuki slammed his foot down on his green curl-covered head. Izuku heard Uraraka scream a large number of explicatory phrases, while Todoroki growled a "Get the fuck off of him!"

"We practice on our own." Izuku whimpered. Perhaps if he cooperated, they'd let his friends go.

"So how about you join us?"


	3. Chapter 3: Recruitment

CHAPTER 3 - Recruitment

"So how about you join us?"

Izuku froze. _Join them?_ _They don't want to kill us? _"Your shitty ass tribe clearly doesn't need you, and we happen to be in demand for some decent sailors."

"I-I…" Izuku's mind was reeling. _Join a pirate clan? Is that okay? Can we trust them? What do Todoroki and Uraraka think?_

_Do we have a choice?_

They were abandoned entirely by their tribe. They likely wouldn't be able to return at this point, regardless of what they did. The pirates weren't going to let them sail away, and they desperately needed sailors. On top of that, Izuku would get to sail like he always dreamed about. There was nothing left for them on the island. Sure, the pirates were still untrustworthy, but even the possibility of sailing was better than whatever "life" they were living before. Izuku drew a deep breath.

And nodded his head.

The captain lifted his foot off Izuku and used it to kick Denki off of his new Chief Sailor. "Glad we didn't have to tie you up and drag you." Izuku let out a small sound of bewilderment. "And your friends?"

Todoroki and Uraraka looked at each other, unspoken words traveling through their eyes. Todoroki nodded at her, and she looked at Izuku with loyalty and determination. "Where Izuku goes, I'll go." Todoroki grunted in agreement, and they were both released from the grasps of their captors.

"Welcome to the fucking team, then."

Katsuki agreed to let his new Chief Sailor and mates go back to their settlement to gather their belongings. Several heads peeked out of tents as they passed by, but the second they saw the pirates they flicked away. Todoroki snorted. _Fuck you too._

Izuku grabbed his small canvas bag containing everything he needed–a large supply of hand wraps, a spare hunting knife, ropes, and his "sailing notebook." He put on a string necklace, woven by his mother. Uraraka and Todoroki had similar belongings, though Uraraka's canvas bandages were for "chest support," and they both had bows and arrows. Uraraka also had a good amount of snacks.

When they got outside the ship, the caped captain called everyone to attention. "Alright newbies, listen up. I'm the captain of this ship. Katsuki Bakugou. I decide where the fuck we go. And this," he motioned toward the ship. "is the UA All Might."

He proceeded to introduce each member his crew, using one or two words most for each of them. Izuku, Uraraka and Todoroki were analyzing each new face, determining what they could about their personalities. It was a lot of names to take in, but the crew was smaller than they expected. Clearly, there was a lot of trouble recently, seeing as they were so short on people, and the ship was damaged in quite a few places. Izuku, Uraraka and Todoroki all introduced themselves next.

"If your name's Izuku, then why the fuck does she call you Deku." Katsuki gestured to Uraraka with his chin.

Uraraka chirped in, "It's a nickname! Doesn't it have a 'you can do it' sort of feeling?"

"Sounds more like 'useless' to me, ey Deku?" Katsuki smirked at the frustrated blush that washed over Izuku's freckled face. _This motherfucker is so fun to tease. _"Since you're hunters, how about you get us food while we fix this fucking ship." Katsuki tossed Izuku his hunting knife before heading off towards the UA.

At that, the three friends shared some polite pleasantries with their new clan, and headed back off into the tropics. Clearly, the pirates were confident that the most logical option for the three of them, in terms of survival, was to stay with them. They didn't even bother sending a guard, though perhaps that was a way to show their trust in their new crew members.

About an hour later, Izuku, Uraraka and Todoroki reached the boat with what they gathered in terms of food – 3 rabbits, a couple squirrels, and an abundance of fruits, berries and vegetables. Essentially 20 years of learning how to find food on the island allowed the three friends to make quick work of their hunting trips.

The crew, except Katsuki, was very enthusiastic in demonstrating their admiration.

"So, in a third of the time you idiots took, these three managed to get enough food for every person here. Kinda embarraassing, ey?" Mina crossed her arms, teasing Kirishima, Denki and Shinsou.

"Hey, we were more focused on determining our location! Isn't that right, Ei-chan?" Denki cried out defensively. Kirishima nodded with his eyes closed, more in appreciation of Denki's excuse than in agreement.

"Shit, not my fault nothing wanted to come within a mile of these two. I wouldn't either." Shinsou rolled his eyes. Everyone chuckled as the eye-bag pirate gathered up the food and headed into the ship to cook. Sero stepped forward, wiping his hands on a handkerchief.

"Ship looks great, guys. We keep at it tonight and we'll be sailing tomorrow morn'." There were a few excited cheers at that statement. Izuku approached Sero while everyone gathered around a makeshift firepit to chat and wait for their meal.

"Um, is there anything I can do to help with the ship? To get it sailing, I mean." Izuku stammered nervously to the tall engineer.

"Izuku, right? We've got most of it covered; just gotta work at patching up some holes and keepin' things watertight. Although…" Sero held his chin and looked at the green-haired boy. "You know what any of the lines are called? The ropes I mean. That control the sails."

Izuku immediately brightened up, the golden light of the sunset casting an amber glow in his eyes. "I've read a bit about them! I make sure to document everything I find out." Sero laughed.

"A nerd, ey? Well, in our last tussle, our forestays'l jigger got warped. Must've been a cannon shell. Either way, it's damn near impossible to raise the sail."

"Can I see!?"

"'Course, follow me." Sero led Izuku up the steps and into the UA. Though he managed to stay silent, Izuku was hardcore fangirling over being in a legitimate pirate ship for the first time. His bright green eyes were wide in amazement at how immense the ship was. The sails seemed to stretch all the way to the sky, waving magnificently in the wind. The sails _he_ was now in charge of. Before he could control himself, Izuku whipped out his notebook from his cargo pants pocket and began jotting down notes– how many sails, their approximate size, number of lines, and some of the new "ship lingo" he was starting to learn.

"Here's the jigger." Sero grabbed hold of a rope that was strung through a warped, burned-looking pulley. "It's all wonky, so it takes 3 people just to haul this line."

"Oh, that pulley – or jigger – it's about the same size as the one of my boat's main sail! I'm sure we can replace it!"

"No kidding, that'd be perfect!" Sero beamed excitedly. "We really were right to recruit you!" At the blush that suddenly dusted across Izuku's embarrassed face, Sero laughed and ruffled his green curls. "Then how 'bout we go get it while Shinsou's cook—"

"The fuck're you two doing here."

Both boys whipped their heads to look at the pissed off blond heading towards them from the captain's cabin. His hands were stuffed into his pockets and he wasn't wearing his orange cape, exposing his chest and arm tattoos as well as a series of necklaces, and what looked like falcon-claw ear piercings.

"Aye cap't! Izuku here's got a jigger we might be able to replace this sucker with. We were just about to go and get it–"

"The fuck you two are going anywhere. If you got time, Tape Head, go fix the goddamn deck. Leave it to some other idiot and we'll be sleeping underwater. I'll go with Deku."

"Got it, cap't." Sero waved a hand as he immediately started off to carry out his captain's orders. When he jumped onto the sand to get to work, Bakugou turned to face Izuku, still clutching his sailing notebook and looking slightly dejected that his new friend had to leave so soon.

"If you're gonna be fuckin' sad and shit, go with him for all I care."

Izuku blushed as he began to stammer in the presence of the intimidating captain. "I-I'm not sad! You have the wrong idea…" His voice trailed off into a mumble as embarrassment followed his realization of what the captain's comment implied.

Katsuki snorted as he turned around to climb off the ship. "Then let's go."

Izuku nodded quickly at the captain's order, a new determined look masked his previous fluster. The blond couldn't help but smirk as heard a shuffle and slight yelp behind him, knowing immediately that his Chief Sailor had stumbled. _Damn nerd…_

They trekked without conversation through the forest, until they finally came across the brilliantly shining gulf where Izuku's boat had been dragged ashore by the pirates. "Alright, go get your fuckin' thing. I'll wait here." Izuku looked at his companion in surprise.

"But shouldn't you come with me to make sure that the size will be okay?"

"How the fuck am I supposed to know if it's right?!"

"B-but that's what Sero was gonna help me with—"

"Agh, shit! Fine. Shouldn't be too damn hard to tell."

They hopped into the boat, and Izuku grabbed his mains'l jigger and turned to Katsuki. "This looks right to me. What do you think?" Katsuki walked over and grabbed it, turning it slightly as if to inspect it carefully. While Katsuki knew about sailing, he wasn't usually the one who actually dealt with hauling lines. _I've probably looked at our damn jigger five times. I don't fuckin' know what size it is…_

"It'll work." Katsuki was grateful for this completely uninformed statement when Izuku's face immediately brightened up. A dazzling smile broke across his face as he realized he'd be able to help out his new crew.

"I'll take it off then!" Izuku undid his skillfully fastened coil, and with movements as swift as a cat, pulled himself up the main mast with his perfectly toned arms and legs. Katsuki's gaze was fixated as he watched Izuku clamber up to the top of the sail, quickly yet gracefully. At the top, Katsuki noticed the way the setting sun lit the side of his face, bathing his freckles and tattoos in golden light, and showering amber highlights through his dark curls. They were long enough that they waved slightly in the wind, allowing the rays to ripple through, just like the waves of the open ocean.

"Katsuki? Captain Katsuki!" The captain blushed from head to toe as he was ripped from his trance at the sound of Izuku's voice, barely audible from his perch at the top of the mast. The boy was tightening the canvas wraps on his hands. "I said I'm gonna jump down now, so watch out please!"

"J-just fuckin' jump, shit nerd! You don't have to tell me everything!" _Shit. Why the fuck did I have to stare at him so damn long. He definitely saw._

Izuku grabbed ahold of his sail and slipped off the mast. His body weight was just enough to allow him and the sail to come down to the deck at a safe speed. As he descended, the rope was pulled out out of the jigger, freeing it up to be switched to the UA. When Izuku's feet hit the deck, right next to Katsuki, he managed to flash another blinding smile before a dark shadow engulfed them both. They both looked up in surprise to see the now untethered and loose mainsail flutter down on top of them.

"Shit!" Katsuki held out his arm to hold the huge sail up, but it was hopeless. Izuku yelped as they were both pushed onto the ground by the heavy canvas, trapped under the tarp that Katsuki was managing to hold up off the ground just slightly.

Before Katsuki had time to feel embarrassed about being a pirate captain trapped under a sail like a caught fish, he heard possibly the most angelic sound in existence. Turning his head toward the greenette laying beside him, Katsuki's eyes widened as he watched the boy laughing at their situation.

"Yeah, this is real funny." He grumbled. He tried to sit up and push the sail off, but it was too big and heavy. Growling, Katsuki kicked his leg out to try to push it a little higher. This made Izuku lose his shit. He curled up on the deck beside Katsuki, holding his stomach as he laughed at the captain wrestle with the giant sail covering them. "How 'bout you fucking help me, fuckhole?! This is your damn fault in the first place!"

Still smiling, Izuku was able to get on his knees, as he was just small enough to fit under the sail propped up by Katsuki's arm and leg. "It's too much trouble to try to lift it up. Let's just roll out."

"I'm not gonna roll around on your damn deck like a shitty baby! Use those scrawny arms and help me lift it up! Oi!" Katsuki was left shouting profanities at the other when Izuku laughed, laid back down and rolled away from Katsuki, out from under the sail. From under the huge canvas tarp, Katsuki heard Izuku laughing.

"You coming?"

_Fuck. This. Kid._ Katsuki pushed himself to his knees, and with a good deal of struggling and a slew of explicit phrases, was able to bear-crawl out from under the sail. He stood up straight and brushed off the sweat that had gathered on his forehead. Noticing the satisfied grin on the greenette's face, he shot him the angriest glare he could muster and jabbed a finger into the hunter's bare chest. "I'm remembering this. Now get the fuckin' jigger."

Izuku managed to stop his laughter and walk back over to where Todoroki had expertly fastened the jigger to the pin rail using a neat and perfectly tied double Norwegian bowline knot. He undid the knot and slipped off the pulley. Beaming at Katsuki, he held it up and waved it slightly as if to show it off to the captain, who was standing behind the sail and glaring, a blush still tinting his ears.

He grunted in approval, and turned to jump off the boat. Izuku ran to catch up to him, and leaned forward to peek at his captain's scowling face.

"Sorry, Katsuki. I should've listened to my captain's orders." Katsuki looked at Izuku and noticed that had a concerned frown on his face. He was still leaning forward as they walked through the forest, studying Katsuki's reactions to see if he was genuinely angry about the sail situation. _Well, at least it gave this nerd a good laugh._ He reached his hand out and flicked the boy's forehead, causing him to scrunch up his face and cover his forehead with both hands.

"I'll let you off the hook this time, Deku." A dangerous smirk split across the captain's face, causing Izuku to gulp. He leaned in closer. "But disobey me again, and I won't be so nice." Then, as if nothing happened, he turned and kept walking back towards the UA, leaving Izuku behind in stunned bewilderment.

_Was that an invitation?_


End file.
